Ice drill



Oct. 18,1949. J. w. WEST I 10E mum Filid July 15, 1944 2 Shepts-Sheet 1Fig.1.

J. W. WEST Oct. 18, 1949;

I38 DRILL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1944 T zzvmvr ATTORNEYSPatented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE DRILL John W.West, Bangor, Maine, assignor of onethird to Pinchos E. Medwed andone-third to Edward E. Rosen, both of Bangor, Maine Application July 15,1944, Serial No. 545,180

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to drills, and

more particularly to drills for drilling in ice.

The object of the present invention is to provide an ice drill which canbe conveniently operated to make a hole of substantially any desiredsize rapidly. A secondary object is to provide a convenient form ofmooring stake to be permanently left in the ice.

With these objects in view, the present invention comprises the drillhereinafter described and particularly defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of thepreferred form of drill in the form of a stake; Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the end portion of the drill; Fig. 3 is a view of the cutterembodying the principles of the present invention for cutting a largehole in ice; and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the device shownin Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3.

The device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a drill for making arelatively small hole in ice, say up to two inches in diameter. As willbe hereinafter described, the drill may be made as a stake and leftpermanently in the ice for mooring purposes.

The drill comprises a tubular member 2 formed near the lower end or forits entire length with threads 4. The threads, as shown in Fig. 1,present a relatively sharp edge 6, adjacent convolutions being connectedby a smooth curve 8. At the lower end, the material is extended to formvertical knife-edge members l0. These members are arranged atdiametrically opposite portions of the drill. Extending between themembers are inclined members H, having two horizontal knife-edgeportions l2, adapted to cut rapidly into the ice. As shown in Fig. 2,the members I I cross in such a way that upon turning of the drill likea right hand screw, both horizontal knife edges cut into the ice. Nearthe top of the tubular member 2 is a hole l3 into which'a rod or bar maybe inserted for turning the drill.

In the use of the drill, it is placed on the ice and revolved, as by theuse of a bar in the hole l3, or by the use of a suitable stock or brace.Some pressure is required initially to cut a hole deep enough to causethe screw threads 4 to engage with the ice. This initial movement is notdifiicult, however, if the drill is not over two inches in diameter,since the edges l0 and I2 chip the ice away rapidly. After this initialmovement, the threads engage with the ice and further drilling isaccomplished with slight effort.

From Figs. 1 and. 2, it will be noted that the first thread starts atthe upper end of one of the vertical knife edges Ill, so that its entryinto the ice is facilitated. As the drill is turned, the chips areforced towards the central opening and are thus cleared away from thecutting point, So that they do not impede the drilling operation. Thesmall chip formed continually at the starting end of the screw is alsoforced into the central opening, and to this end, the surface in back ofthe starting point is relieved, as indicated at M.

As the drilling progresses more and more convolutions of the threadengage with the ice. The operation of turnin the drill therefore bringsthe cutting edges into further engagement with the ice, the chips beingautomatically cleared away through the central opening during the entireoperation. The hole can be made as deep as desired and it has been foundthat very little additional effort is required as additional length ofscrew enters into engagement with the ice. As shown in Fig. l, thethreads extend only partway along the drill, the outer diameter of thethreads being slightly greater than the diameter of the member 2 abovethe threads, so that the depth of hole is not limited to the length ofthe threaded portion.

The drill shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be easily backed out when a hole ofthe desired depth has been made.

As a means for anchoring buildings, masts and the like, the device maybe left in the ice as a stake. In such a case, the threads preferablyextend the full length of the stake, or at least the full length of thatportion of the stake that is to be left in the ice. It is believed thatthe security of the stake in the ice is due to the fact that somemelting of the ice may occur as the point of the screw thread bites intothe ice, and that the water thus formed freezes as soon as the drillingaction is stopped.

If desired, the central opening may be slightly tapered with the largerdiameter of opening at the top to guard against any jamming of the chipswithin the shaft. It has been found satisfactory, however, in mostinstances, to make the device with a straight sided opening.

A device for drilling large holes is shown in Figs. 3 to 5. For example,a hole for ice fishing is preferably about nine inches in diameter.Accordingly, there is provided a short hollow threaded section It,similar to the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the top of the drillsection 16, there is mounted a generally circular head I8 carrying knifeblades 20 and 22, inclined toward the surface of the ice. As shown inFig. 5, at least one 3 and preferably two of the blades, as indicated at20, extends inwardly beyond the outside diameter of the threads. Otherof the blades, as indicated at 22, need not tend so far inwardly, inorder that space may be provided for attachment of a frame to bedescribed presently.

The head I8 is preferably welded to a collar 24, and both the head andcollar are secured to the top of the threaded member l6, preferably bywelding.

Suitable means for rotating the drill are provided, here shown as aU-shaped frame 26 welded to the head I8. A bar inserted in the openingof the frame may be conveniently used to turn the drill.

As the drill is turned, the initial action is to cut the ice with thethreaded section [6, exactly as for the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2,the chips being discharged upwardly through the center opening. Theblades 20 and 22 ultimately move into engagement with the ice, and asthe device is turned and the threads 6 advance the entrance of the drillinto the ice, the large blades 20 and 22 cut the ice to form a largeopening.

It will be noticed that the pitch of the large blades 20 and 22, as wellas that of the end cutting blades I2, is greater than the pitch of thescrew 4. The blades [2, l8 and 20, therefore, have a shaving action onthe ice which can proceed with little effort, even for holes of largediameter.

I claim:

An ice drill comprising a hollow tubular member having sharp threads onits outer surface 4 adjacent the lower end thereof, said memberterminating at its lower end in diametrically oppositely positionedvertical members having vertical cutting edges extending in thedirection of rotation of the drill and vertical inner surfaces whichincline inwardly and rearwardly from such vertical cutting edges, eachof said vertical members having an integral horizontal portion extendingradially inwardly from its vertical cutting edge, said horizontalportions having horizontal cutting edges extending in the direction ofrotation of the drill and upper surfaces which incline upwardly andrearwardly from such horizontal cutting edges, said upwardly inclinedupper surfaces of said horizontal portions and said inwardly inclinedvertical inner surfaces of said vertical members directing ice chips cutby the said cutting edges into the hollow interior of said tubularmember.

JOHN W. WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 269,548 Stephenson L Dec. 26,1882 286,599 Fitzgerald Oct. 16, 1883 332,274 Miller Dec. 15, 18851,352,825 Meredith et a1 Sept. 14, 1920 1,479,894 Carey Jan. 8, 19241,778,043 Silberger Oct. 14, 1930 1,857,585 Brooks May 10, 1930

